New MANuscript - letting the song out!

Just completed my new manuscript!

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it.

Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy! – Psalm 96, 1, 11 & 12

YAY… YAHOO… WOO-HOO… COOL-BEANS…

Drum-roll, please! My new manuscript is now complete, printed off, and on its way by priority mail to my publisher in Nashville. Time to take a deep breath and get back into my “normal” flow of writing activity.

It is – to be honest – always a bittersweet moment whenever an intense project such as writing a new book is completed. I enjoy the process so much: the research, the praying, the sketching out of ideas, the sitting in my leather chair and thinking, the walking around and thinking, the drinking coffee and thinking, the bouncing-off of ideas with friends, the writing, the re-writing, the re-re-writing, the pulling things together and – finally – the break-neck surge of creativity and composition that pours forth during that last week of frantic assembly before finally letting go and dropping a new book in the mail slot at the Post Office….

This particular book has been different because of the “fast-track” schedule. It’s book # 5, but book #4 is still in the pipeline and waiting for next month’s release date. They have almost become tangled together in the process. I’ll talk more about the other book – Reaching Toward Easter – when it actually “hits the shelves”.

But for today it’s “Ten Life-Charged Words for Men” that has really captured my imagination, and – apart from the obvious – I think I know why:

It was writing the conclusion, Sunday evening, that forced me to consider the core message of the project, the “Why does this world need another book?” question. Well, the answer became clear when one of the saddest lines in 19th Century literature surfaced in my thinking.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them” (Henry David Thoreau , 1854).

I realized that “Ten Life-Charged Words for Men” is all about putting an end to such a sad state of affairs! Instead of desperation, the ideas discussed represent a life defined by fullness. People who are “Life-charged” are people who let their song out. Or expressed in another way, the content of my new book is about the process of Letting Life Loose.

Thanks for stopping by!

WELCOME!!!
If you've arrived at this page, hopefully it means you're already reading the book, "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian." If not, then let me invite you to join the conversation.

It's too easy in today's world to relegate faith to an add-on, after-market, or part-time status. If a little faith is good, we reason, then we'll just enjoy it at arm's length. We wouldn't want to go overboard. Unfortunately, thinking like that lets what is good keep us away from what is best. The good can be the enemy of the best.

So I'm here to be an encourager. Try following Jesus as a disciple rather than simply one more priority that we fit in where we can. At the very least let's talk about it. Leave your comment, I'd like to know what you think.

Love and blessings - DEREK

NOW YOU'RE AT THIS SITE, THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS YOU CAN DO:

First, leave a comment (click on "comments" below). We want to know how you are responding to the book and how God is challenging you to re-evaluate your life of faith. Scroll through the comments and see what others are saying, too. Periodically, I plan to sample the comments and use them in a new blog entry.

Next, you can link to my daily blog, "The Life-Charged Life". New entries are posted six days a week. It's a great way to crawl in to the author's mind.

Then, you can purchase additional copies of "THE UNMAKING OF A PART-TIME CHRISTIAN" or any other Derek Maul title by clicking on the link above right.

There's also a link to my website, DEREKMAUL.COM. You can read a more complete bio, check my schedule, and even begin a conversation about bringing me in to speak for a conference, a retreat, or to visit your church or other organization.

It's a privilege to be in this ongoing conversation with other pilgrims in progress. God's rich blessings be with you all - DEREK

Check out what's happening!

Speaking in Colorado over the weekend!

If you're visiting this space for the first time, you need to know this page is designed to respond to questions and observations about my book, The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian.

However, I just returned from an amazing speaking trip to Colorado, and there's been so much to share on my regular - daily - blog. So I recommend that you hop on over to either A Life Examined, or The Preacher's Husband, my two more regular blogs.

Regardless, I'm glad you stopped by. Feel free to post questions or comments and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

God's rich blessings - DEREK

Steering a course through Lent

This is just a short post to keep this page current (you can keep up with my daily posts at DEREK MAUL).


I've been thinking a lot about what it means to follow Jesus, and how thinking about faith that way helps us to move away from the "Member of the Christian Club" mentality that defines much of the way we do business as church attenders.


That's why Lent is such a powerful idea. It's the time on the church calendar when we can be challenged to sort out in our hearts and minds what Easter is all about, so that we're not blindsided when we get to Palm Sunday and Holy Week. Too often, coming to terms with Easter is handled all in a rush during the few days around Easter Sunday.


So this is my challenge for today - take the next few weeks to think through the implications of Christ's coming, Christ's death and resurrection, and Christ's willingness to be a part of our lives today...


Did I say "a PART of our lives"? I'm going to take that back and suggest, instead, that we consider God neither a part of our life or even the number one priority. I want us to think about God as the very ground that we stand on.


Take your shoes off! You're standing on Holy Ground.


God's rich blessings - DEREK

You, LORD, are my shepherd.

   I will never be in need.

   You let me rest in fields

   of green grass.

   You lead me to streams

   of peaceful water,

   and you refresh my life.

   You are true to your name,

   and you lead me

   along the right paths.

   I may walk through valleys

   as dark as death,

   but I won't be afraid.

   You are with me,

   and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.

   You treat me to a feast,

   while my enemies watch.

   You honor me as your guest,

   and you fill my cup

   until it overflows.

   Your kindness and love

   will always be with me

   each day of my life,

   and I will live forever

   in your house, LORD.

Welcome Page (The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian)

The picture (left) was taken in Milan, Italy. I was on vacation, just visiting, but having the time of my life. It's easy to approach the Christian life in similar fashion. Tourist, visitor, short-time, temporary. But Jesus is interested in seeing us engage life full-on, no holding back. We were designed to be full-time Christians, people who have invited Christ to take up residence in our hearts. It's called the life abundant. So what are we waiting for?

Welcome! I'm glad you stopped by this page! If you're reading these words, then it probably means you're also reading "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian." Thanks for checking in.

You'll find occasional postings on this blog site (the archives are certainly worth a look), as well as some ongoing conversation in response to questions posed by readers. Feel free to leave your comments and questions below this post, or email me at derekmaul@gmail.com.

For daily posts (4-6 weekly entries), check out my ongoing - eponymous - blog at Derek Maul. Or the more specifically focused The Preacher's Husband, updated around twice each week.

Regardless of how we stay in touch, take this opportunity to commit to a more deliberate path of following Jesus.

Grace and Peace - DEREK

Jesus – “I am the gate. Everyone who enters through me will find that they can truly live. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10)

An Open Letter to Christian Men (and Women)

This letter - below - went out as part of the Presbyterian Men's ministry newsletter this month. It's an invitation to listen to me speak at their national conference. But it's also a good word to everyone. Men, women, Presbyterian or otherwise.

If you're in the area (Virginia Beach, April 9), come, listen, and introduce yourself.

Many blessings - DEREK

Greetings, most excellent Presbyterian Men! This is Derek Maul. I’m excited about church, I’m passionate about seeing my brothers grow as followers of Jesus, I believe in the future of the Presbyterian Church and I can’t wait to share some life-charged vision with you at the Men’s Conference in Virginia Beach.

I believe that the Presbyterian Church is at a critical tipping point in its history, but I’m convinced God’s message to us is the same one shared with Jeremiah: “I have plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29).

If we want our church – both your local congregation and the denomination as a whole – to step confidently into a future that’s bursting with hope and promise, then I believe men’s ministry has one of the most important roles to play.

The most telling demographic in your congregation is AMALAD (Active Men, Aged 20-70, Living As Disciples). I’m not so much interested in packing a stadium with thousands of men as I am in seeing handfuls of men transformed by their genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

I’ll be speaking twice. First, in an afternoon workshop ("Discipleship in 4-D: moving beyond a part-time faith"), we’ll discuss what it means to follow Jesus as a 21^st Century man. Then, Saturday evening, the keynote message is, "MAN-ifesto: 10 life-charged words for Presbyterian men."

Implementing this message will transform your church. The question, as Jesus parsed it to the man slowly dying by the pool, is this: “Do you really want to be healed?”

See you in April – DEREK MAUL 

Part-Time Christian or Disciple?

Welcome! I'm glad you stopped by this page! If you're reading these words, then it probably means you're also reading "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian." Thanks for checking in.

You'll find occasional postings on this blog site (the archives are certainly worth a look), as well as some ongoing conversation in response to questions posed by readers. Feel free to leave your comments and questions below this post, or email me at derekmaul@gmail.com.

For daily posts (4-6 weekly entries), check out my ongoing - eponymous - blog at Derek Maul. Or the more specifically focused The Preacher's Husband, updated around twice each week.

Regardless of how we stay in touch, take this opportunity to commit to a more deliberate path of following Jesus.

Grace and Peace - DEREK

Jesus – “I am the gate. Everyone who enters through me will find that they can truly live. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10)

How's the New Year going so far?

Welcome! I'm glad you stopped by this page! If you're reading these words, then it probably means you're also reading "The Unmaking of a Part-Time Christian." Thanks for checking in.

You'll find occasional postings on this blog site (the archives are certainly worth a look), as well as some ongoing conversation in response to questions posed by readers. Feel free to leave your comments and questions below this post, or email me at derekmaul@gmail.com.

For daily posts (4-6 weekly entries), check out my ongoing - eponymous - blog at Derek Maul. Or the more specifically focused The Preacher's Husband, updated around twice each week.

Regardless of how we stay in touch, take this opportunity to commit your 2011 to a more deliberate path of following Jesus. I've included my thoughts for the New Year below,

Grace and Peace - DEREK

Jesus – “I am the gate. Everyone who enters through me will find that they can truly live. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10)

What’s on my mind is the wide-open window of possibility that is 2011. This New Year is waiting for me to understand the realm of what can be, to engage a vision, and then to live beyond my dreams.

I’m not talking about resolutions, so much as promise, possibilities, belief and intention. I’m talking about being deliberate in terms of moving forward. If I really am a Jesus-follower, then I have to leave myself open to a range of outcomes in 2011 that is much more extensive than the limit of my dreams, a quality of experience that falls well outside of my own safe and manageable repertoire of what-ifs.

First, I’m stepping into 2011 with the belief that this could be a breakthrough year for me professionally: 

• I have my first opportunity to keynote a national conference
• I have another new book coming out
• I have a new project percolating that has the potential to be huge
• and I’ve sketched out an outline for another manuscript.

I believe that I really am moving forward, but at the same time I wonder about where my own lack of faith and my spiritual poverty is putting the breaks on the plans the Creator has for me.

So I plan to begin 2011 by meditating, by listening and by taking the time to clarify my vision.

Rebekah gave me a tripod for Christmas, so I can use my camera to peer more intently when there’s not a lot of obvious light. I plan on using a spiritual tripod too, so that I can apprehend the light that is hidden beneath what is superficial. I know that such a task will require patience, and listening, and waiting; like a camera on a tripod; being still.

If there’s one place I want to go in this New Year it is beyond what is superficial. And I know of only one way to get there. Jesus said, “I am the gate.”

I like the way the CEV translates Psalm 46:

God says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored among the nations. I will be honored in the earth." The Lord who rules over all is with us. The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.

• I’m going to be still
• I'm going to use my spiritual tripod
• I'm going to enter in by the gate and find pasture
• I'm going to trust God to open up the New Year
• and I'll be praying that, “The God of Jacob will be like a fort to me”.

 Peace - and a very happy and blessed New Year - DEREK